Bohemia Interactive launches Arma 2: Free

Public beta now accepting new recruits.

Bohemia Interactive has launched a free-to play version of its authentic military shooter, Arma 2.

Arma 2: Free offers "almost everything" that the original Arma 2 had, minus the campaign, HD graphics and support for user-made add-ons and mods.

Despite these omissions, the game is very much free; there's no monthly subscription, no micro-transactions and no hidden costs. According to the press release, it's "free to download, free to play, free to share, free to host, and free to create."

Neon reviewed the (non-free) original back in 2009, calling it "unashamedly ambitious in its design and execution, embracing rich complexity at the expense of accessibility." He gave it a respectable 8/10.